Sports festival to go on in Jaffna as planned

[TamilNet, Thursday, 10 July 2003, 16:02 GMT]Dismissing local press reports that the national sports festival would be moved out of Jaffna due to protests, Sri Lanka’s Director of Sports, Mr. Milton Amerasinghe, said Thursday that the 29th National Sports Festival would be held in Jaffna as scheduled during August 4-9, Jaffna district secretariat sources said.

The Secretary to the Sports Ministry, Mr.N.G.Punchihewa, and Mr.Milton Amerasinghe Thursday held a conference at the district secretariat with sports officials and other related officials in Jaffna in connection with the sports festival.

The Government Agent, Mr.S.Pathmanathan, Additional Government Agent, Ms. Pathiniammal Thilanayagam Paul, Director of Planning, Mr.T.Sivapatham, and District Sports Officer, Ms. A.P.J.Rupasingham, attended the conference, sources said

Following the conference, Mr. Amerasinghe briefed the press about the arrangements made so far to hold the national sports festival in Jaffna.

Mr. Amerasinghe said that his ministry has no intention of moving the festival from Jaffna but it could be postponed if the renovation of the Duraiappah Stadium was not completed within the stipulated period.

He said that a sum of 19.5 million rupees has been allocated for holding the national sports festival in Jaffna, and several sport development works have already been launched in preparation.

“There is great enthusiasm shown in the south about holding the sports festival in Jaffna. A large number of people eagerly await visiting Jaffna during that period,” Mr. Amerasinghe added.